VOMIT on her pointy shoes, kids trying to pull her ears off and many questioning whether she really is an elf - it’s all a day in the life of Bri Crabtree.
The professional elf is a children’s entertainer who attends parties and restaurants dressed as one of Santa’s little helpers.
But the excitement of being that close to an elf can become all too much for little ones - including one boy who vomited just as he approached Bri.
“His mother made him take a photo with me immediately after so we didn't miss the ‘photo opp’,” she tells Fabulous.
“I prayed, held my breath and stood next to him for the photo.
“You really can't make this stuff up.
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“I was chatting with two little girls, and one girl says, ‘your ears are plastic’, and her friend says, ‘my mummy's nose is plastic’.”
Bri’s ears can often be a sore spot for little sceptics.
Some will try to pull them off to prove she hasn’t really been sent from the North Pole to check who’s been naughty or nice.
“I wear latex ears that are glued on with adhesive,” she says.
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“Some kids give me a hard time about not being a real elf.
“They tell me my ears aren't real, and one time a kid grabbed my elf ear so hard they almost pulled it off… it hurts!”
Bri, from California, got into her line of work through a mentor who knew she’d be great at imparting Christmas magic on children .
Now she’s been a kid’s entertainer for over 20 years, and puts on magic, circus and other themed shows, as well as her elf gigs in December.
“Becoming a full time variety entertainer with magic and juggling was a long process,” the Silly Circus Show owner says.
“You have to be self motivated, and I am mostly self taught.
“Once I realised I could be silly as a job and entertain kids, there was no going back.”
Bri’s typical elf attire is a green dress, curled-up elf boots and a long, pointed hat.
Alongside working on behalf of Father Christmas in the real world, she is professionally trained in juggling, unicycling, magic, mime, dance, and clowning.
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Bri says that “being an elf unleashes her creativity to play” and is like a “little escape into a fantasy world”.
According to Talent, the average salary for a children’s entertainer in the UK is £25k.
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